Main menu

Tony Q Rastafara Biography

Posted on by Zainal Arifin

Tony Waluyo Sukmoasih (popularly known as Tony Tony Q or Q Rastafara; born in Semarang, Central Java, 27 April 1961; age 50 years) is a homage to reggae singer Indonesia who has been active in the range since 1989. He along with his musical group Rastafara popularized the term "dreadlocks" (dreadlock hairstyle) in Indonesia through songs with the same title in 1996. Q Tony has become an icon of reggae music Indonesia. He is considered the pioneer of reggae in Indonesia, because he not only engaged in the long range, but also develop its own character reggaenya music, which he incorporates many traditional elements of Indonesia to the music, and themes raised in his music unique to Indonesia.

Personal life

Tony Q is a graduate of STM Boating in Semarang. Before plunging into the world of music, in 1980 Tony Q had worked for six months in the quality control (quality control) in a canning factory owned by Singapore company in Cakung, East Jakarta. But then he left the job and chose to be a street musician and a musician, his family faced stiff opposition. He was a musician for five to six years in the Blok M, Jakarta.

Music career

According to an interview with Tony Q at Radio Netherlands Worldwide, before plunging in reggae music, he never played blues, rock, even country music. In 1989, he eventually chose to pursue reggae music which he can not escape from public life. Q Tony was deeply idolized Bob Marley, the late renowned Jamaican reggae musician.

Together Rastafara

Q Tony reggaenya music career started in 1989 with Roots Rock Reggae band. Regular gig from cafe to cafe or perform music event in Jakarta. Having joined with many reggae bands like Exodus and Rastaman, finally in 1994 he formed the band that became quite famous Rastafara as a carrier stream of reggae music in Indonesia at that time. Together Rastafara he had released two albums, namely "Dreadlocks Hair" (1996) and "I'm Falling In Love" (1997).

Almost all the songs in the album were created Tony Q, with lyrics that many themed social, humanity, love, and people's daily lives. One of the popular song "Dreadlocks Hair," a term for dreadlock hair style that is often used by followers of the Rastafari movement, which then indirectly used the term in the Indonesian language that became popular because of the song.

Rastafara was considered different from other reggae bands because they managed to enter and combines elements of traditional music and instruments typical of Indonesia into the music, forming a reggae music ala Indonesia that could be released from the shadows of other countries such as reggae music Bob Marley, UB40 or Jimmy Cliff. The use of traditional musical instruments such as Kendang Sundanese or Javanese gamelan music to add color to participate in songs Rastafara. And the musical arrangements are also seen passing the Malay music elements, music typical of the region of North Sumatra, or the West Sumatra.

In 1997 Rastafara decided to vacuum in the music because of the lack of reggae music market in Indonesia. Q Tony then went on his career by forming a new band still carries the name Rastafara. Formed in 1998 Tony Q & New Rastafara, the player gets an additional band format. But then the 2000 Tony Q decided to start a solo career while still carrying the name of a band that has made it known by his fans, namely Tony Q Rastafara.

Solo music career

In 2000 Tony Q is now known as Tony Q Rastafara successfully released his first solo album, "Peace With Love" with no record company was shaded. On his first solo album is Tony Q began to experience the peak of his career in reggae music. After hearing the first album, a professor in the music of Canada's Tony Q reference to send a demo to participate in the event the Bob Marley Festival in the United States. Organisers of the festival is like the songs on the demo and then invite Tony Q to perform the same diacara in 2002. But the departure of Tony Q to the festival with his entourage were forced to cancel because they did not get permission from the American Embassy visa due to security reasons related to the "Events 9/11" in the United States that occurred adjacent to the planned departure of Tony Q.

In 2003 Tony Q Rastafara second solo album released entitled "Chronology". Songs in the album is a collection of some of the songs from the albums Tony Q before and also some songs that have not been released. Q In 2005 Tony released the album "Greetings of Peace". In this album Tony Q tries to combine elements of reggae music with traditional instruments Indonesia. In the album there are songs with lyrics Sundanese ("Paris Van Java") and Java ("Ngajogjakarta") which further adds to the traditional elements of Indonesia in the thick of reggae music.

In 2005 the song "Pat Gulipat" from his first solo album "Peace With Love", entered into a music compilation album "Reggae Playground" which was released in February 2006 under record company Putumayo World Music, a record label based in New York, U.S.. Q In 2009 Tony released the album "The President" in the context of the rise of the 2009 elections in Indonesia. According to Tony Q, the album was released to the public discourse to the reggae music fans to know how to address the political situation at that time. Music in this album brings back the traditional elements such as drums Indonesia Sundanese, gamelan, Javanese zither, tambourine, and even trumpet reog.